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I was rather miffed, I thought this was a game that actually meant something from the way the media were carrying on in the leadup, and then I found out it was a warmup.

Probably what will happen is that the Socceroos will get roundly thrashed in each game, and Cahill will score a couple of goals for us, and then the moaning will start and mysteriously there will be backing for a human cloning program with Cahill as the test subject.

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I'm excited I hope that it’s a good competition and that racist chants, which have been a problem in the past in Russian games, are not an issue.

My brother is going, actually. It's a lifelong dream for him. He'll be at Colombia's 3 group games. I’m jealous and a little nervous for him. He said booking tickets and lodging to Saransk was quite the challenge :lol

Right now I am that I can’t find a Colombia women’s kit online in my size and that my Panini album is woefully incomplete. I want Colombia to do well and repeat their Brazil 2014 performance. I want Falcao kept in bubble wrap until the first match. And o hope for a Falcao-James team goal.

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My brother is going too. He loves soccer even though as a country we're the worst He's supporting several teams and is only staying for the group stage. Booking lodging in Saransk was nearly impossible and prices were astronomical, so he'll just wait for the late night train back to Moscow (where his hotel has shared bathroom facilities. He doesn't mind, but some of his friends are a tad apprehensive about that).
He always wanted to attend a FIFA world cup, and he figured now is the right time. I mean, it's expensive but they all figured Qatar will be a lot more expensive.

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My brother is going too. He loves soccer even though as a country we're the worst He's supporting several teams and is only staying for the group stage. Booking lodging in Saransk was nearly impossible and prices were astronomical, so he'll just wait for the late night train back to Moscow (where his hotel has shared bathroom facilities. He doesn't mind, but some of his friends are a tad apprehensive about that).
He always wanted to attend a FIFA world cup, and he figured now is the right time. I mean, it's expensive but they all figured Qatar will be a lot more expensive.

It's FIFA. Whatever corruption you can imagine, the truth is probably worse. Same with UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, all the regional federations. Mysteriously, host nations never, ever wind up in a Group of Death. Not at all unique to Russia.

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I didn't think much of it when they got Uruguay. There were weaker teams in pot 2. But now that I think about it, even though Uruguay is likely to beat Russia, it is also likely to beat the other two teams. So, it's pretty much Russia vs. Saudi Arabia and Egypt battling for that second spot. If they all get zero points against the strongest team, it will not hurt the host's chances as opposed to having a semi-strong team (where matches have better chances of ending in a draw). Of course, you never know with soccer. No amount of effort could help South Africa in 2010. And they didn't help themselves by having their goalkeeper red carded.

A proud P/C fan

It's FIFA. Whatever corruption you can imagine, the truth is probably worse. Same with UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, all the regional federations. Mysteriously, host nations never, ever wind up in a Group of Death. Not at all unique to Russia.

It is to do with rules. For the draw, the pot 1 consist of the host and teams ranked 1 to 7 that qualified to the World Cup. Pot 2, 3 and 4 filled based on ranking, with best ranking teams filling lower numbered pots. So pot 4 had the weakest 8 teams not filled in pot 1, 2 and 3. Each group had 1 team from each pot.

Russia, if not for being the host would have ended up in pot 4. So in affect, Russian group ended up 2 teams from weakest 8 ranked teams, 1 from group 2 and 3. In ranking terms, a group consisting of Russia as host will always be weak irrespective who else is in it since the best ranked team that could have entered that group would be ranked 8th in the world (best ranked team in pot 2).

The rules were not written for Russia, it was in play for a while. Nobody cries corruption when USA and Australia gets contential picks in some sports for best in the continent at Olympics. Nor do we call it corruption when Japan is allowed to enter 3 teams at a GP in ice dance, even if ranked so far behind in the ranking. It is all do with rules. If they had tweaked or changed the rules mid way through, that would have been wrong.
Similar situation will happen at the 2022 World Cup as well.

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It is to do with rules. For the draw, the pot 1 consist of the host and teams ranked 1 to 7 that qualified to the World Cup. Pot 2, 3 and 4 filled based on ranking, with best ranking teams filling lower numbered pots. So pot 4 had the weakest 8 teams not filled in pot 1, 2 and 3. Each group had 1 team from each pot.

Platini recently admitted that the draw in 1998 was manipulated. Given everything else that has come to light about FIFA and what I just heard about how they are handling the 2026 applications, I have my doubts that their practices changed. But I don't believe that it's just this time or this time and next time. I think that if there is corruption and manipulation, it was there in the past as well. And it's not just FIFA either.

I'm kind of rooting for Morocco, simply because the FIFA changed the rules after it looked like Morocco might have a chance so that Morocoo would be less of a competition and because a certain President urged (to put it politely) nations to vote for the US, Mexico and Canada.

Attended the Netherlands 0 v 1 Belgium in Orlando in the 1994 WC. My son and I sitting in a sea of orange on a hot, sunny Florida afternoon. Actually a fairly boring game until Belgium scored. Then things got a bit more intense and interesting.

After the game, and for the next 3 days, the family was at WDW. At that time a family of 4 could go to the world without refinancing the house...

NJL (..I could have bought tickets for Mexico v Ireland at the same site. I now wish I'd done that even though that game was days after the one I attended......)

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Bit of a scandal for Spain on the eve of the World Cup, as it is announced their NT manager Julien Lopetegui will take over Real Madrid after the World Cup. He’s now been fired by the federation as they claim that this was done behind their back.

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Well my afternoon plans changed so I thought I'd check out the Opening Ceremony - well it's a tad weird to be honest!! They have Robbie Williams singing - along with an Opera singer whose name I don't know and lots of weird dancers with football heads!! Flags being paraded, a lady walks out with a football and that's it. About 10 minutes so pretty short and some may say sweet!!!